Girdle or foundation garment



March 3, 1942. L. J. A. AMYoT GIRDLE OR FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed Dec. 18, 1939 lr lll'llllll lllllllllllllll- Lllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 1....!

INVENTOR LJAAMYOT Patented Mar. 3, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GIRDLE R FOUNDATION GARMENT Louis J. A. Amyot, Quebec, Quebec, Canada Application December 18, 1939, Serial No. 309,820

2 Claims.

This invention relates to foundation garments and comprises a girdle having a waistline reinforcing section or band provided with inserts of cord stiened textile fabric particularly adapted to prevent curling of the garment at the waistline.

According to this invention a waistline reinforcing section `or band is secured to the top of the girdle preferably only at the back and sides but the band may, if desired, be extended to the front of the girdle as well. Instead of using stiiening bones for reinforcing the band I employ a plurality of V-shaped or triangular inserts of cord stiened fabric inserted in the band with the wide or upper portion of the V at the top of the band and the apex at the bottom thereof. These stiffening inserts thus comprise a series of inverted triangular members spaced relatively close together with their apices at the bottom of the band and their wide bases at the top of the band, whereby a stiened fabric is formed substantially throughout the length of the band at the top to resist or prevent curling of the band while the narrow or pointed ends of the stiiening inserts at the bottom of the band permit a flexibility in the garment which does not interfere with perfect freedom of movement of the wearer.

In the drawing which illustrates my invention,

Fig. 1 is a rear perspective view of my improved girdle.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the garment.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of one of the reinforcing inserts in position in the band.

As shown in the drawing, my improved girdle comprises a series of vertical panels, the rear panel being designated 4, the side panels 5 and the front panel 6. These panels are joined in the usual manner by vertical lines of stitching 1. The garment is provided at the front with stiiening ribs 8 extending about half way downwardly from the top of the garment. The front panel 6 is provided at the bottom with an elastic gusset 9. A vertical opening is provided at one side of the front panel 6, said opening being closed by a sliding fastener indicated at I0 operable by means of the slider member II. The panels may be made of any suitable material, the side panels 5 being preferably stretchable in circumferential direction. The top of the girdle. at the sides and back, is provided with a band I2 formed by apiece of fabric folded over at the top as indicated at I3 in Fig. 3 and secured to the girdle panels by the line of stitching indicated at I4. This band I2 is preferably formed of elastic fabric stretchable in the circumferential direction. The folded over band I2 is supported in a vertical direction by a series of reinforcing inserts I5 formed of cord stiffened textile fabric. These inserts constitute V-shaped or triangular reinforcing elements and are arranged so that the narrow apices of the inverted triangular inserts lie at the bottom of the band while the broad bases of the inserts lie at the top of the band. These inserts are arranged relatively close together so that there is only a narrow portion of the circumference of the band between the inverted bases of the inserts. The band is thus reinforced throughout practically its entire length at the top so that curling of the garment at the waistline is reduced to a minimum. While the greater. area and length of reinforcing support is thus applied to the band at the top where such support is most needed, the stiffening of the band is proportionately reduced at the bottom by reason of the comparatively narrow area at the apices of the inverted triangular inserts. This arrangement permits the girdle,` with its top reinforcing band; to be worn without discomfort owing to the gradually reduced resistance of the inserts from top to bottom. In fact, at the bottom of the band there is practically complete flexibility of the garment.

While I have shown the reinforcing band extending throughout the sides and back of the garment, it may be further extended to the front or may be formed in even more restricted areas.

The front panel 6 of the girdle may be formed from an integral piece of material at the top, as shown in Fig. l, or it may in some `types of garments be provided with a V-shaped opening adaptedto be closed and adjusted by lacings as designated by the numeral I6 in Fig. 2. Such an adjusting element would permit the girdle to be more readily fitted to the figure of the wearer.

Having thus described my invention, what, I claim is:

1. A foundation garment provided with a relatively narrow, circumferentially extending band at the upper edge thereof and a plurality of vertically disposed triangular members the entire area of which is stiffened, said members secured to said band and extending from the upper to substantially the lower edge of the band, said members being arranged with their apices directed downwardly and with their upper extremities or base portions disposed in close proximity to each other, the arrangement being such that the -upper edge of the band is reinforced along substantially the entire upper edge thereof by the upper edges or base portions of the triangular members.

2. A foundation garment as set forth in claim 1 characterized in that each of said triangular members is made of cord stiiened textile fa ric.

LOUIS J. A. AMYO'I. 

